{"id":2921,"date":"2022-04-01T05:26:28","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T05:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/markerly.com\/blog\/?p=2921"},"modified":"2022-04-01T05:26:29","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T05:26:29","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-impressions-and-engagements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/whats-the-difference-between-impressions-and-engagements\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Difference Between Impressions and Engagements?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Digital marketing terminology can be confusing at the best of times, as many terms refer to metrics and KPIs that are closely related. These metrics and their associated terms are used to track how effectively a marketing strategy is performing, so knowing how to talk about them and understanding the differences between them is vital.<\/p>\n

This article will look at several terms\u2014including impressions, engagement, and reach\u2014that have made their way into every marketer\u2019s daily vocab list. Keep reading to learn about what these terms mean and the differences between them.<\/p>\n

Impressions vs. Reach vs. Engagement: What\u2019s the Difference Between the Three? <\/h2>\n

You will often see these three metrics mentioned when you read about social media marketing<\/a>. Most often, you\u2019ll hear the terms impressions and reach when dealing with any kind of social media platform or paid advertising campaign. On the other hand, engagement is a broader term that can apply to ads and social content as well as to actions that users take on a brand\u2019s blog or website.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These three terms represent essential digital marketing KPIs<\/a>, and they\u2019re very commonly used in marketing reports and analyses. They all have their own specific purpose and meaning, so let\u2019s take a closer look at what they tell you as a marketer.<\/p>\n

Impressions<\/h3>\n

Impressions signify the number of times your content is displayed on a user\u2019s screen. For example, if you have an Instagram ad that has popped on screens 500 times, that will mean that it has 500 Instagram impressions<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to calculate marketing ROI, impressions are rarely a significant metric due to how some platforms treat them. For example, on Facebook, your video just needs to pop up on someone\u2019s screen to be counted as an impression, regardless of whether the user just scrolls past it. <\/p>\n

Reach<\/h3>\n

Reach shows the number of unique<\/em> people who have actually seen a piece of content. Some of these users may have already seen your ad before (which means they don\u2019t count toward the total reach), while it may be the first time for others. Facebook separates reach into three categories<\/a>: organic, paid, and \u201cviral\u201d reach.<\/p>\n

Typically, an ad\u2019s impressions will be equal to or higher than the same ad\u2019s reach. That\u2019s because most social media platforms, like Facebook, show an ad multiple times to a part of the ad\u2019s target audience. This is a positive for companies, as it drives brand awareness and ensures that your content is delivered to the intended audience.<\/p>\n

Engagement <\/h3>\n

Engagement is perhaps the most meaningful metric of the three. It refers to the way the user engages with your content, and tracking engagement means tracking actions such as:<\/p>\n